Resent, Reject, Regret

Deirdre tossed an implicative glance outside the kitchen.

“Believe me, I’ve seen the worst, and now nobody else’s skill could ever faze me again. Seriously, try to surprise me.”

“Heh.” Declan excitedly washed his hands and grabbed a spare knife. He made a few nicks and began to unpeel it.

“How’s this?”

Deirdre’s poor sight would not be able to help her tell, but she also thought this was the best opportunity to get Glenna and Declan talking again.

“What do you think, Glenna?”

Quietly exasperated, Glenna turned in the direction of Declan’s hand and noticed how beautiful his fingers really were. It was as if a man with good genes simply could not have anything remotely out of place in any part of their physical appearance. Glenna never fancied herself as someone who gave a dime about hands, and yet even her heart throbbed.

When she finally broke out of her trance, she realized she had been silent too long. Declan tried to dispel the awkwardness in the air with a chuckle. “I must have done a really crappy job if my panelist can’t review my handiwork.”

He made another nick.

“How about now?”

her knife and potato down and hurried out

could only remark to himself, “Okay. I’ll take that as

direction Glenna disappeared into and felt her heart sink. She could not stop thinking about the conversation she had overheard. What happened? What was it that made Glenna hold that big of a grudge? She obviously had a crush on Declan, so why was she

moment later, she asked, “I know the two of you had made up, Mr. King, but why

so, huh?” Declan remembered how Glenna had burst into tears at that time despite himself and asked, “Say,

cry!?” Deirdre was shocked. “What sort of question is

quickly replied, forcing himself out of his memories before finding an excuse.

tough type who

she exhaled a breath. “Glenna’s a tough cookie. I’ve never seen or heard her cry before, which means… if she did cry, then it must have been over something that really broke

done. She explained that she was having a stomachache. Not willing to expose her, Deirdre played

“Had something shady lately?”

It must be that super-spicy taco from the other day. D*mnit, I should have known!”

fresh, crispy potato chips was ready. Deirdre moved on to their other

was uncharacteristically quiet and seemed almost too focused on her